Do you ever wonder how a farm name comes to fruition? What's the meaning and relevancy to the owners and the land?
Mary Carolyn and Gus Galloway named their homestead Eden Farm after the Garden of Eden in the Bible. They say to this day that this farm was a gift from God and meant to be a blessing for all who come. The farm became a wonderful place to raise their extended family and spend time with many friends over the decades.
Back in the day, many students would trailer in to train at Eden Farm, enjoying a full hunter course set up out in the field by the quiet country road. Friends stayed and rode all over the property on their ponies, often playing games and racing through the paddocks. The neighborhood was very quiet then, and all the neighbors were super friendly and like family. The Galloways often hosted bonfires and invited their church community and friends to gather for a potluck dinner. Many traditions were started back in the 1970s on the farm, including the annual Christmas party, which to this day is one of Ocala's celebrated holiday gatherings with over four generations of Ocala folks attending each year.
If only the ponies and the barn walls could talk? So many memories were made here over the years.
The 40 plus years of tradition continues... Stay tuned for more stories in future blogs.
LEARN MORE about the farm and history.
The EDEN FARM Philosophy
FUN
PASSION
HARDWORK
HORSEMANSIP
CAMARDERIE
ADVENTURE
TEAMWORK
TACK UP.............RIDE WELL.............HAVE FUN!
ABOUT THE LESSON PROGRAM
Megan has taken many students from beginner level of “first time on a horse” to circuit championships at local and regional A shows. Her two daughters, Lauren and Rachael, have had successful careers competing at Hits OCALA; Fox Lea in Venice, FL; the Palm Beach Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL; and Tryon International Equestrian Center in Tryon, NC.
Lauren and Rachael also assist in training and coaching lessons with the beginner program at Eden Farm. The family tradition continues through three generations for the love of the horse and sport.
We take each student’s ability and progress very seriously and endeavor to challenge them to reach new levels. At Eden Farm we also have created a family-friendly environment where kids can enjoy camaraderie, share their love of horses, and learn to build horsemanship skills. We work very hard and we demand our students treat each other and the horses with dignity and respect. More about the Lesson Programs.
We also have an excellent training program for horses owned by clients who would like to see their horses go to new levels in the show ring. Rachael Lomel took a young hunter who had never been in jumper classes to winning champion in the 2’9 jumpers at HITS. Megan has trained hunters, jumpers and ponies to become polished winners in the show ring. Our focus at Eden Farm is for riders competing at all levels through 3’9 Hunters and the Child/Adult Jumpers. We also offer clinics and field trips to local cross-country venues for our clients.